22 October 2010
Zac Goldsmith (Conservative, Richmond Park) : Asked the Secretary of State for Transport what recent progress he has made in securing agreement at global level on reducing aviation emissions.
Theresa Villiers (Conservative, Aviation Minister) : At the 37th Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which took place between 28 September and 8 October 2010, a climate change resolution was adopted which agreed the following:
· a collective, global aspirational goal of carbon neutral growth from 2020 for international aviation in addition to a 2% per year fuel efficiency improvement;
· 15 guiding principles for the design and implementation of market-based measures for international aviation;
· work to develop a framework for market-based measures;
· exemptions from certain activities for small emitters; and
· provisions on assistance for developing states.
While this agreement represents a significant step forward internationally, the UK, along with 43 other European states, placed a collective reservation on those elements of the resolution where we believed more ambition is required and where the text could potentially compromise the effective introduction of aviation into the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) in 2012. A number of other states also placed reservations on this resolution for different reasons.
This is the first global sectoral emissions target but the UK remains committed to pressing for more ambitious international action on tackling the climate change impacts of aviation and in the meantime we will continue with preparations to include aviation in the EU ETS.
Sourced from Dehavilland: www1.dehavilland.co.uk